Scene and Heard

With a subtitle like "Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages" you know you're in for something huge. This week Jackie and Greg sit down with D. W. Griffith’s silent epic from 1916. Topics of discussion include the film’s massive scope, Carl Davis’ rousing score, how the theme of intolerance isn’t as well integrated as Griffith intended, the film’s immersive intertitles, and plenty of waxing over the...

It's Jackie's turn to pick the film and she goes for Agnès Varda's mid-career masterpiece, VAGABOND.  Topics of discussion include the theme of loneliness in cinema, the power of Sandrine Bonnaire's performance, how Varda's background in documentaries gives the film a special touch, and why it's outrageous that Varda isn't represented on the Sight & Sound list in any capacity.  The c...

Saddle up with Jackie and Greg as they dig into John Ford's seminal western and contemplate its reputation in 2022. Topics of discussion include the film's casual racism, the forced slapstick comedy (and tonal confusion), the film's iconic images, and why it doesn't live up to its potential (or Ford's usual standard). Oh and why John Wayne kinda sucks. Watch out -- they're out for blood. #7 on Sig...

Jackie and Greg discuss Edward Yang's sprawling family drama from 1999. Topics of discussion include ghosts in dramas, the stoicism of the Jian family, the mundanity of everyday life, the idea of the "intimate epic," cinema as a means to live multiple lifetimes, and films that creep up on you... in a good way. Tune in to hear them wax poetic about one of the all-time great family mosaics. #93 on S...

With special guest Kathryn Ferentchak! The history of cinema can be divided into two distinct eras: before and after this week's film. Jackie and Greg are joined by Kat as they get their hands dirty and dig deep with Stanley Kubrick's landmark masterpiece. Topics of discussion include comparisons to the Arthur C. Clarke novel, Kubrick's ambiguity (and how his style of adapting source material play...

In this week's episode, Greg sits Jackie down for Stanley Kubrick's landmark horror film. The only problem: she doesn't like scary movies. Does THE SHINING prove to be too much for her or is it a breeze? Tune in to hear them discuss the ambiguity of the Overlook Hotel, Stephen King's hatred for the film, whether they think the ghosts are real or imagined, and why the film's stature has grown over...

Jackie and Greg aren't shy about their love for one of Powell and Pressburger's signature classics. Topics include the film's comic strip origins, the Archers' innovative storytelling and editing techniques, the powerful performances from Roger Livesey, Anton Walbrook, and Deborah Kerr, and why it still feels modern nearly 80 years later. Tune in to hear about their crushes on the lush Technicolor...

Jackie and Greg discuss why F. W. Murnau's expressionistic fable remains such a monumental work. Topics include the film's animated intertitles, Fox's Movietone sound-on-film system, the inventive visual language of the film, and German Expressionism vs. realism. Tune in to hear them take on one of the most beloved films of the silent era. #5 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of...

Jackie and Greg discuss Djibril Diop Mambéty's film from 1973. Topics include neocolonialism, leaving home, radical filmmaking, and their thoughts on animal slaughter onscreen. Join them as they get lost in the images of the most celebrated Senegalese film ever made. #93 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/greatest-fil...

Jackie and Greg discuss Jean Renoir's ensemble farce from 1939. Topics include the dawn of WWII, Renoir's overlapping characters and their influence on future generations of filmmakers, and the hunting scene in which over 100 animals are killed. Join them as they try their hardest not to compare Renoir's film to DOWNTON ABBEY (2010 - 2015) too frequently. #4 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Gr...

Jackie and Greg discuss Rainer Werner Fassbinder's signature film (the only one on the list) from 1974. Topics include Fassbinder's tumultuous personal life, Douglas Sirk's influence on the film, normalizing male nudity, and why couscous is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Join them as they unravel this classic of New German Cinema. #93 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" lis...

Jackie & Greg take on Yasujirō Ozu's monumental work. Topics of discussion include Paul Schrader's "Transcendental Style in Film," Ozu's eye for compositions, and a comparison to Leo McCarey's MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW. And Noriko. So much Noriko. Tune in to hear them gush over one of cinema's great masterpieces. #3 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www...

Jackie & Greg struggle with the inclusion of Douglas Sirk's classic melodrama on the list. After making comparisons to the original film from 1934, they question the intent of the 1959 remake. Does Sirk bring anything new to the table? Is the film more popular than it should be due to the scandal surrounding the murder of Lana Turner's mobster boyfriend? Tune in and hear them at their most ind...

Jackie & Greg discuss Orson Welles’ CITIZEN KANE from 1941. Long considered the greatest film ever made by pretty much everyone, they discuss their personal feelings about this monumental work. Topics include Hearst Castle tours, unreliable narration, and the unexpected humor of the film. #2 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and...

Jackie & Greg discuss Max Ophüls' THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE... from 1953.  This confectionary melodrama has everything: a sixteen-year age gap between lovers, opulent ballroom scenes, really long dolly shots, and dueling in the name of love. #93 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/greatest-films-all-time-2012...

In their inaugural episode, Jackie & Greg discuss Alfred Hitchcock's VERTIGO from 1958, the "greatest film of all time" according to Sight & Sound. Topics include whether the romance at the center of the film is genuine, Jimmy Stewart's kissing style, a deep dive into Midge, and whether or not the ending works. #1 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https...

Welcome to Scene and Heard! Jackie & Greg introduce themselves, the Sight & Sound "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list, and discuss their journey ahead. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time Check us out at our official website: https://www.sceneandheardpod.com Join our weekly film club: https://www.instagram.com/arroyofilmclub JP Instagram/Twitter: jacpostaj...